The rationalization of neoliberalism in Ontario's public education system, 1995-2000

The globalization of neo-liberal policy solutions to education problems has gained increasing dominance in recent years. In Ontario, Canada the success of this ideological discourse, particularly during the past decade, has been hard to combat due to the ideal message that it conveys to the general electorate, that is one based on efficiency, accountability and equity of resources across different school boards in the province. Despite protests from many activist groups (i.e. unions, educators, parent-groups) the implementation of such policies has been largely successful. By tracking education policies, statements and events, newspaper articles and other policy reports from 1995 to 2000, this paper seeks to understand the nature of its success during the early years of restructuring. I argue that part of the success lies in understanding the techniques and strategies of implementation or the process of rationalization. I argue that policies formulated at one spatial level operate quite differently at another and the spatial disjunctures that arise as a result of this process lead to the continued success of neo-liberal ideologies and inequalities in education.     

国家资源环境安全的要素综合评价

资源环境安全问题始终是世界各国持续发展的核心任务和基本诉求。考虑到单要素和整体两大分析方法的不足，提出一种针对性很强的要素综合分析方法。根据世界上10个人口超过 1亿以上国家的抽样分析表明，土地、水资源、矿产及生态环境的整体状态是决定国家资源环境安全的基本所在。与此同时，为了改善国家，特别是发展中国家的 资源环境脆弱状态和提高其稳定程度，第一是要严格控制人口增长；第二是努力推进本国资源环境开发的国际化进程；第三是增大智力投入以提高资源深度化加工；第四是加大本国生态环境保护力度。     

Transplanting cityscapes: the use of imagined globalization in housing commodification in Beijing

How does globalization unfold in the process of urban development? Rather than examine the impact of globalization on the city as if the former were independent of and superimposed on the latter, this paper aims to address how globalization can be imagined, pursued and exploited in the process of local growth. Through examining the emergence of Western architectural motifs in a late socialist capital, Beijing, it is shown that transplanting cityscapes is a conscious action by developers to exploit globalization and thereby overcome the constraints of local markets. By associating themselves with globalization, the development elite hope to sell the vision of the good life in the era of globalization.     

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF FOREST POLICY IN MEXICO AND CHILE

Widespread agreement exists on the broad outlines of the concept of sustainable development for developing countries. This calls for a development model capable of meeting basic needs without depleting natural resources at a rate that robs future generations of their use. In this regard, citizen participation is also considered key to legitimise such policy choices. However, there is considerable disagreement over the substance and meaning of the major components of the concept and the relationship between them. This paper argues that positions in policy disputes over the sustainable development of the forest cluster in two distinct approaches: market‐friendly initiatives and grassroots development. Since market economies prevail almost everywhere, the question that is posed concerns the conditions under which the grassroots development approach is included as a significant complement to market‐friendly initiatives. This is a political question, requiring an examination of actors, interests and power resources. The paper thus applies a political economy framework to a paired comparison of Mexico, where grassroots development approaches (community forestry) had notable successes, and Chile, where market‐friendly forest policy crowded out alternatives.     

Spatial policies towards the Seoul Capital Region

This paper describes and evaluates the impact of spatial policies towards the Capital Region of Korea (the Seoul Capital Region hereafter). Following the introductory section, the second section presents an overview of trends of concentrations of people and employment in the Seoul Capital Region since 1960. The evolution of spatial policies and the major policy instruments employed is described together with an assessment of the validity of the perception of excessive concentration in the Region. In the third section, the impact of spatial polices towards the Seoul Capital Region is evaluated based on new empirical evidence as well as findings from previous studies. The impact of policies on the spatial distribution of jobs and populations between the Seoul Capital Region and the rest of the country, as well as that of specific policies such as green belts, and the new towns project is analyzed. The section ends with a discussion of public opinion on spatial policies revealed through recent surveys. The last section addresses the political economy of spatial policies and concludes with thoughts on the way forward considering the changing environment for spatial policies.     

Developing a community-based approach to urban redevelopment

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to analyze the Joint Redevelopment Project (JRP), a housing renewal program in low-income residential communities, and second, to develop a community-based approach to urban redevelopment in Korea. In urban areas of Korea, particularly in Seoul, housing renewal has systematically reduced the supply of substandard housing in the areas where low-income families have concentrated, thereby isolating and marginalizing the displaced tenants. Housing renewal or urban redevelopment projects are basically profit-oriented rather than upgrading-oriented for a community by means of community dynamics and residents' participation. Although many renewal projects have contributed to the increase of homeowners among middle-income families who had enough financial resources for the purchase of a house, there have been no programs giving sufficient consideration to tenants. In fact, most renewal projects displaced low-income residents affected by housing speculation and attracted more middle-income families into the projects.For local governments, a community-based approach to urban policy means encouraging comprehensive planning and cooperation between governments and communities. It is a holistic approach built around families and communities. We need to use a learning and enabling process in order to develop a community-based approach to redevelopment in urban areas of Korea.     

Is Australia becoming more unequal?

Several researchers have argued that Australia is becoming more unequal. This paper briefly explores the reasons why this might be the case before undertaking a social indicator based examination of whether income inequality extends to well‐being generally. Using 176 regions and eight social indicators and focusing on the period 1976–91, the paper shows that inequality has increased, particularly in the last intercensal period. The pattern of ‘winning’ and ‘losing’ is a complex one that suggests increasing differentiation between regions. This finding is set in the context of the social differentiation inherent in postmodern society. Regional policy based on the devolution of spending and responsibility is advocated as one way of helping disadvantaged regions.     

Economic transformation, locality and policy in eastern Germany: A comparison of two Länder

Economic transformation in post-socialist eastern Germany revealed inherent inequalities in development opportunities, which had been disguised during the socialist ancien régime. Using local examples from the two contrasting Länder of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony, this paper explores how market forces not only exposed these differences, but further entrenched them at the regional and local scales. Local economies demonstrate the differential development very clearly, exposing the significance of regional economic context and raisons d'être of local economic structures. This is genuine locational advantages vis-à-vis activities imposed through ideology rather than economy-driven decrees by the old GDR regime. Many of these state-decreed activities lacked local, and regional, embeddedness, rendering the respective local economies most vulnerable to market operation. They will continue to rely on state support. The problems were exacerbated in those localities lacking support from a regional economy, as in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Conversely, market-favoured, economically attractive regions, like Saxony, generally help localities develop their new economic roles, including those with few indigenous advantages. These fundamental differences in opportunities, illustrated here for six cities, are reflected in local policy-making, especially the role of localness and utilization of local identity.     

增强我国中西部山区扶贫开发

论述了我国中西部山区扶贫开发取得的成就和面临的问题,提出了增强扶贫开发的十项政策措施:搞好宏观调控,转变思想观念,实行优惠政策,加强基础设施建设,采取倾斜政策,开展横向联系,加快发展乡镇企业,搞好智力开发,强化社会化服务体系建设,积极开展扶贫济困活动。